Top 100 murals and other painted street art of 2016

This image gallery brings together 100 of the best murals and other painted street art pieces of 2016 in Montreal. The selection was done from my own personal favourites as well as those of my followers on Instagram. Of course this list was put together from what I was actually able to photograph, so keep in mind that it may lack some great work that just slipped between the cracks.

It was already difficult selecting 100 ceations, it was impossible to sort them in order of preference, so they are shown here in alphabetical order. To ensure that the list wasn’t filled with only work from a few much-loved artists, I have set a maximum of 4 pieces per artist.

Ankh One and Shadow‘s contribution to a huge A’Shop production in NDG. More from this huge production further down this list under ‘Five Eight’ and ‘Fonki’. Check out the Top 100 graffiti pieces of 2016 (under ‘A’Shop’ and under ‘Shadow’) for more by these two artists.

Astro in Petite-Patrie. This was on the Plaza Walls programme despite not being in the Plaza St-Hubert immediate neighbourhood.

Astro doing it for the kids on schoolyard containers

Astro doing it for the kids on schoolyard containers

(Two photos above) Two angles of these Plateau schoolyard sheds done by Astro at the beginning of the summer.

Astro in a Hochelaga alley (detail 1/3)

Astro in a Hochelaga alley (detail 2/3)

Astro in a Hochelaga alley (detail 3/3)

(Three photos above) This long wall on the side of a Hochelaga daycare was made more cheerful by Astro.

Axe and Awe in Ahuntsic

The side wall of this Taichi studio in Ahuntsic was embellished with this beautiful piece by Axe and Awe. Another bit by Axe on the right was from earlier than 2016. Monk.e also participated to this mural (he’s on the left), but his entries in this Top 100 are featured below under his name and Tiburon’s. Both Axe and Awe have made it into the Top 100 graffiti pieces of 2016, Axe under his own name, ‘K6A’ and ‘Naimo’; Awe under his own name and ‘Lyfer’.

This is a collaborative mural between Bosny and Koal for Plaza Walls. If you look closely, you’ll see that the white shapes are very stylized letters making the names of the two artists (Koal, then Bosny). Check out the Top 100 graffiti pieces of 2016 for more by these two.

It was the year of the dog in Montreal street art in 2016, in big part because of a controversial by-law banning pitbulls and other related breeds. Cryote is one of many artists who took the paintbrush and spraycan in protest of this cruel decision that will eventually lead to the euthanasia of many harmless dogs.

Cryote (central figures) and Waxhead (leafy figures and door) in a Mile End alley

Cryote (central figures) and Waxhead (leafy figures and door) in a Mile End alley. Scroll down to ‘Waxhead’ for more by these two artists.

Melissa del Pinto on the Museum of Fine Arts

Melissa del Pinto was commissioned by Mu for this beautiful piece on the wall of the Museum of Fine Arts’ new pavilion.

This past year we were finally treated to a proper mural by Ella & Pitr. The duo had in the past produced a number of great pieces in Montreal, but these were always on roofs and parking spaces, therefore only visible to people flying above and could only be photographed with the help of a drone.

Five Eight and Rouks’ collaboration for A’Shop’s Hip Hop You Don’t Stop project on the walls of a NDG garage

Five Eight and Rouks collaborated on this segment of a huge project put together by A’Shop in NDG. More from this A’Shop production above under ‘Ankh One’ and below under ‘Fonki’. Scroll down for more great collaborative work by Rouks.

Fonki mural on Décarie commissioned by dog owners in memory of their dogs who have gone to puppy heaven

There were a log of dogs in Montreal street art in 2016, partly because of that anti-pitbull by-law, but also because two big murals were commissioned by owners in tribute to their dogs who had passed away. This is the one done by Fonki, scroll down to Kevin Ledo for the other one.

Fonki (left) and Ms Teri (right) collaboration for A’Shop’s Hip Hop You Don’t Stop project on the walls of a NDG garage

A street art hotspot in a Mile End alley was completely redone in 2016 following construction on some of its walls. This one by Gawd is one of the new pieces found there.

Labrona (left) and Gawd (right) in Mercier

Gawd (right) and Labrona (left) also make this Top 100 with this unofficial combo on the wall of an abandoned building in Mercier. Scroll down for more work by these two, under ‘Labrona’. The two also made it into the Top 100 pasted street art of 2016.

Germdee in a Mile End alley

Germdee is a new big addition to the local street art scene. He started being active late spring and within a few months he produced an impressive number of pieces in Plateau/Mile End alleys and beyond. His impact on the local scene is also felt through the numerous collaborations and productions he put together with many fellow artists and crewmates.

Thanks to the buzz created by the Plaza Walls event this summer, Haks managed to get this commission from a Plaza St-Hubert business, his largest solo work to date. Scroll up for more by Haks under ‘Luc Bouchard’. Haks also made it into the Top 100 graffiti pieces of 2016.

Hobz at Plaza Walls

French artist Hobz paid us a visit during the summer and this Plaza Walls creation is one of the two major pieces he left us before heading back home.

Hobs in Plateau End

Hobz‘s other production during his stay in Montreal also made this yearly Top 100.

(Three photos above) Monk.e was commissioned to embellish a number of city park containers this summer. This one stands out of the lot, in huge part because of the striking feline stare on its front (top photo). The two other shots are views of the sides and back.

Collaboration between Sermob from Mexico and Monk.e in Hochelaga

Monk.e hosted Mexican artist Sermob for a few months during the summer and together they gave this K6A wall in Hochelaga its annual makeover. Scroll up for more by these two under ‘Hsix’. Monk.e is also featured in a collaboration with Tibuton further down this list.

This is a brilliant collaboration between Rouks (woman) and Lapin (head dress) for the 2016 edition of the Under Pressure Festival. If you look closely, you’ll see that the feathers on the woman’s headdress are actually graffiti letters by Speak (top feather), Capes (middle feather), Eskae (bottom feather). Also visible in this shot are pieces by Sirvis (above) and Cole (bottom right).

The production of the year (excluding festival-related ones) is without a doubt the one curated by Waxhead and Cryote on the wall of a Plateau End youth center. This shot shows one of the production’s three walls, it brings together Waxhead (2 cats, foliage), Cryote (pink dog and blue dog head), Peru143 (yellow letters), Meor (beneath pink dog), Gets (green letters), Pound Puppy (dog bottom right) and Mole Patrol (bottom left). Scroll up for more by Waxhead and Cryote under the latter artist’s name. Meor has also made it into the Top 100 graffiti pieces of 2016.